The Sovereignty First Framework in Syria - We are currently seeking funding to launch the Sovereignty First Framework for Syria, working with Syrian actors in the country, Syrians among the diaspora, and other actors influential in the life of Syria. Finding practical solutions to the Syrian war and rebuilding a country so totally devastated by long-term conflict will require the collaborative efforts of local, regional, and international actors. These actors must proceed from a common understanding of each other and the capacities of Syria in order to set goals for peace and reconstruction that are both meaningful and achievable. The Sovereignty First framework is the only methodology capable of gathering and sharing the economic, political, social, and cultural information to enable the relationship-building and baseline understanding actors need to begin the work of creating a peaceful, functional Syria. Click here to learn more.

The Sovereignty First Framework implemented for Syria will engage with regional and international actors, as well as with Syrian actors among the diaspora and within Syria itself. Because the Sovereignty First Framework elicits information from all prime actors, regardless of their political positions or actions, it is capable of generating a truly comprehensive picture of Syrian political and cultural realities in the wake of five years of fighting. A Sovereignty First Framework project for Syria will reach out and draw into conversation actors from all sides of the current conflict.

Funding the Syria project will help place teams in the field in order to ensure inclusion of all prime actors. It will also support:

Travel to ensure that all actors have an opportunity to participate,

Implementation of the framework in a way that will enlist perspectives from actors across economic, political, military, social, and cultural spectrums.

A media campaign to promote participation in the framework, encourage public engagement, and attract additional partners to support implementation across Syria and refugee locations. It will tell Syria's to the world.

Sovereignty First has conducted a first round of interviews with Syrian actors in Gaziantep, Turkey. The report on that first round is available here. While conducting interviews, Sovereignty First staff began negotiating partnerships with Syrian and other regional actors to help security and support with the implementation of the framework for Syria.

Implementing the framework for Syria is estimated to cost approximately $5 million per year, with a goal of transferring operations to Syria at a time acceptable to both parties. We are currently seeking $500,000 to initiate the framework for Syria, which will to begin training, initial interviews, and implement the first two of ten projected rounds.

Our Network

Our network is built of organizations and individuals within Syria who have expressed their interest in supporting and promoting the Sovereignty First Framework in Syria in various ways. We look forward to collaborating with them as we implement the Sovereignty First Framework in Syria.

The National Group for Transitional Justice in Syria is a human rights group working to prepare the ground in Syria for transitional justice initiatives when the current conflict is resolved. These programs will help foster a spirit of national unity and build a national consensus on the fundamental values and principles of the Syrian people as part of reconstruction. The Group is currently headquartered in Idlib with plans to expand to other cities as it becomes feasible. Transitional justice initiatives in Syria will ensure investigation and prosecution of perpetrators of war crimes and crimes against humanity, justice for the victims and their families, and reparations for the damage, opening the way for national reconciliation. The Group seeks to achieve its objectives through fact-finding, advocacy, pursuit of reparations, institutional reform, training and awareness campaigns.